A man weighing 29 stone who missed a holiday because airline staff couldn't fit him on the plane has been offered a kind gift from an ex-pat.

David Brown, 58, from Middlesbrough, was told he could not fit into the seats of a flight to Altinkum in Turkey last month.

He and his wife Margaret, 53, had to get off the flight at Newcastle Airport and watch friends fly off on the sunshine break without them.But the Teesside couple were touched this week by an email sent to the Gazette from Hayley Yalcin, a Marton woman who now lives in the Turkish resort where the couple dreamed of going.

Hayley, 28, said she suffered similar problems on a flight and, after reading of David's plight, wanted to buy tickets for the couple to fly out to Altinkum.

Hayley's email said: "My husband Engin and I have just finished reading your article on the gentleman who couldn't fly here last week because of his size.

"My husband and I know how humiliating things like this can be as I have always struggled with my weight.

"We used to love our holidays to Altinkum as it is a beautiful place to visit.

"Engin would like to organise, book and pay for a flight for David to come for the holiday he missed out on."

Hayley said she weighed up to 20 stone five years ago but has since lost eight stone.

She experienced similar difficulties to David when she had problems with her seat belt on a flight to Altinkum last year.

She added: "They managed to give me an extended seat belt but the staff didn't do it in a subtle way - everyone knew what was going on and it was awful."

Hayley has been married to Engin, 27, for three years and recently moved to Turkey to start their own estate agents called Altinkum Estates.

David and his wife Margaret said they were very touched by the offer from Hayley.

Margaret said: "It sounds like a lovely offer.

"I'm not sure if we will be able to afford go but it is very nice that they have sent this letter."

Hayley still has family in Middlesbrough including her mother Marion and brother Jack, 14.